When the coach picked up the phone at Pregnancy Decision Line (PDL), she was expecting to hear the voice of a young, concerned, expectant mother. But the voice on the other line was older and certain.
Cheryl had one thing on her mind when she called: scheduling a required ultrasound for her teenage daughter, Samantha, so she could have an abortion.
She thought she was doing what was best for Samantha. After all, she knew very well the long days and sleepless nights of a single mom. Because she had endured them herself.
The last thing she wanted was for Samantha to go through the same trials of raising a child alone. “I just don’t want her to struggle like I did.”
As the PDL coach learned more, it was clear that Cheryl felt stuck. After years of raising a child on her own, she was looking forward to a new season of life – unhindered by the demands of childrearing. Not sure what to do, Cheryl openly shared her struggles with the PDL coach.
Reaching the Influencers
A woman’s pregnancy decision is almost always influenced by those who have a significant role in her life. According to a recent study commissioned by Care Net, the father of the baby, the pregnant woman’s mom, and a medical professional were the most influential voices.
That’s why we can’t just focus on a pregnant woman, but everyone who is speaking into her life. We must reach the influencers!
On the call with Cheryl, the PDL coach listened to her concerns and then gave a loving challenge: pause and consider how an abortion would affect her daughter’s emotions and how it may impact their relationship. Cheryl was so focused on what would be best for her daughter in the short term that she’d neglected the long term. . . how an abortion would irrevocably alter Samantha’s life.
It’s this strategy – encouraging our clients to pause and consider what they are getting ready to do – that God uses to save over 65,000 lives every year through Care Net’s Pregnancy Decision Line and network of more than 1,100 affiliated pregnancy centers.
While the government continues to send Planned Parenthood hundreds of millions of dollars, Care Net doesn’t receive a single penny of taxpayer money. We rely on everyday heroes like you to reach women like Cheryl, and like Samantha.
We need to raise $395,000 in the next month to reach more of the Cheryls and Samanthas out there who need to hear a message of life-saving HOPE and TRUTH. Would you prayerfully consider making a sacrificial gift today?
Establishing Relationships & Trust”¦ Saving Lives!
In many cases, calls to Care Net’s Pregnancy Decision Line end without the client making a firm decision for life or abortion. However, PDL coaches follow up with clients, building a relationship of trust. And 35% of life decisions made on the Pregnancy Decision Line happen during the second interaction.
And that’s exactly what happened with Cheryl!
The PDL coach called Cheryl back and Cheryl shared that she had realized there was another way””a better way””to move forward. The last thing Cheryl wanted was to risk her daughter’s emotional health. Abortion was no longer an option in her mind. She was now working with Samantha and, together, they chose life for Samantha’s baby!
God’s love and wisdom, imparted through the PDL coach, changed Cheryl’s heart. On the second call, Chery’s voice sounded lighter with a renewed sense of hope. Her grand-daughter’s arrival wouldn’t be the end of life as she knew it, but the beginning of a new one! A life that Cheryl was now embracing. . . because of the support of friends like YOU.
Praising God for what He has already done, we know we must increase the reach of this ministry. For every person we reach, there are at least 15 more people that we can’t. Earlier this year, we missed over 1,000 calls on our Pregnancy Decision Line in one month. Simply because we did not have enough coaches to answer the phones.
What is the primary obstacle? Funding. We need your help!
Thousands of women and men reach out to PDL and our affiliated centers, believing abortion is the only solution for them. Sometimes, we talk to those who are the primary voice in a woman’s life or death decision about her unborn child’s future. The work is challenging, and days can be long, discouraging, and sad. But God reminds us to not “become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
We must keep going! We must not grow tired or weary in this great struggle for lives.
Your generosity will help save even more precious unborn lives, like that of Samantha’s baby. Please act today by partnering with us in this vital work.